Community

I have never carried a spirit stone before so when scanning the table at ANP this past year, I had a hard time deciding which one to take. It was not in the plans for me to hike but after some spots opened up and base camp seemed to be more than good to go with volunteers; I jumped at the last minute opportunity. Often I let a stone get assigned to me so picking one was new for me as well. I kept walking by and back to the “Community” stone. Even though there were several worthy spirit stones to pick from, I couldn’t leave this one behind.

The word community means so many different things. These heroes all came from a community, they belonged to different communities and now they are honored in TSP’s community. It’s a broad term; which didn’t make it easy to talk about in our group at the top of Cadillac Mountain. So, I just shared what community meant to me and how important it is for us to not only honor these fallen heroes but their communities as well. Why? Because they lost someone, they loved too.

Sitting in circle ceremonies over the years, I hear about the loss experienced by parents, siblings, children, teachers, coaches, friends, business owners….the list goes on and on. We often don’t quite know our level of impact until after the fact. I’ve listened to Gold Star families talk about how they might receive messages or visits from total strangers about the impact their son or daughter had on their life. It probably comes at no surprise that these heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice were also strong members of their respected communities.

One of the best things to watch is a new volunteer, hiker, family; come into the TSP community for the first time. You honestly become “family” (another great spirit stone). The dedication, love and support in this group is unlike anything I have ever been a part of. It starts with me first though so I won’t be giving any advice on your community. I’ll continue to try to improve and be a more positive and impactful member of my community. I want to honor these fallen through action and not just words.

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The Summit Project is proud to say that we are a tax-exempt, 501(c)3, non-profit, charity organization. All donations after Dec 18, 2013 are eligible for tax exemption! Here is our TSP-IRS Determination letter. All donations are used to achieve the mission of The Summit Project.